Synonyms of circulate

circulate

verb

ˈsər-kyə-ˌlāt 

1

as in to disseminate

to cause to be known over a considerable area or by many people

circulate the plans for the new stadium around town to get people's reaction

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disseminate
• propagate
• spread
• transmit
• broadcast
• impart
• dispense
• communicate
• convey
• diffuse
• disperse
• radiate
• dissipate
• pass (on)
• scatter
• sow
• sprawl

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hold (in)
• conceal
• secrete
• hide
• obscure
• contain
• veil
• restrict
• mask
• limit
• enshroud
• cloak
• shroud

2

as in to rumor

to make (as a piece of information) the subject of common talk without any authority or confirmation of accuracy

circulated a rumor that someone was about to be fired

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rumor
• whisper
• reveal
• suggest
• imply
• tell
• report
• hint
• noise (about or abroad)
• disclose
• gossip
• bruit (about)
• spill
• expose
• propagate
• divulge
• promulgate
• publicize
• proclaim
• dish
• spread
• bare
• tattle
• insinuate
• blab
• intimate
• broadcast
• let on (about)
• bandy (about)
• blaze

3

as in to spread

to become known

the prince denies the story about an extramarital affair that's been circulating in the tabloids

Synonyms & Similar Words

• spread
• get out
• unfold
• out
• break
• tell
• come out
• reveal
• get around
• develop
• leak (out)
• get about
• get round
• disclose
• transpire
• spill

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• suppress
• hide
• conceal
• disguise
• mask
• secrete
• hush (up)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of circulate

That’s about $20 billion less than what was circulated to investors last month. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026

Rumors circulated about Drake potentially being the dad of her baby earlier this week, as fans incorrectly connected him to Chanté’s maternity shoot at Toronto’s Casa Loma. — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 8 Oct. 2026

The bacterium that causes plague, Yersinia pestis, still circulates among wildlife in Siberia and neighboring regions. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026

In recent years, a photo circulated online showing a smiling Hamilton, in her early 30s, standing next to a towering stack of pages containing codes her team used during the Apollo project. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026